Nepotism
Nepotism is practice of favoring relatives in hiring or contracting regardless of their merit. Common in the private sector, especially in Christian Colleges and in less formally managed small firms, it is an obvious manifestation of individual corruption and a threat to the integrity of the organization. Nepotism is readily evident in authoritarian governments in which leaders depend heavily on the distribution of private goods over public goods to maintain the support of subordinates. Nepotism is associated with the emergence of informal dynasticism, which shrinks the pool of possible successors of current leaders to their spouses, offspring, and other family members. The Kim Dynasty in North Korea and the Obiang Dynasty in Equatorial Guinea are familiar examples. That celebrities often achieve their status because of family connections rather than talent, especially a celebrity parent, is a dirty non-secret in Hollywood, Bollywood and the publishing industry. What's wrong with nepotism? Robert Wechsler lists the following reasons: : Nepotism includes many of the basic government ethics issues: conflict of interest, misuse of office, preferential treatment, and patronage. : Nepotism undermines public trust by making government look like a family business run not for the community, but for the families in power. : Nepotism is bad for morale within the government organization. It goes far beyond hiring. It remains a problem every time raises and promotions occur. : Nepotism and its cousin, hiring friends or cronyism, are the leading methods of keeping other ethnic and racial groups out of local government. : Nepotism puts officials in an awkward position when they don't want to hire a relative, but feel it's expected of them. Nepotism laws protect officials as well as the public. Examples Government * Rand Paul, Donald Trump Jr., Meghan McCain, and Ronna Romney McDaniel all owe their success in life to family connections, but that did not stop them from weighing in on the advantages Hunter Biden gained from his family connection. * Suriname President Desi Bouterse pays his wife, Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring, a salary of $4,000 a month for serving as First Lady and appointed his son, Dino Bouterse, as chief of the Counter-Terrorism Unit. Source: Simon Romero. "Returned to Power, A Leader Celebrates a Checkered Past". The New York Times. May 3, 2011. pp. A4, A6. * Ivanka Trump * Infamous PRC spy chief Kang Sheng's son Zhang Zishi commanded the Red Guards in Shandong province during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. * Chinese Premier Hua Guofeng was rumored to be the illegitimate biological son of Mao Zedong. See Roger Faligot's account in his 2019 Chinese Spies, pages 101-102. News Organizations * MSNBC hires Luke Russert, son of Tim Russert, as a political reporter, with embarrassingly poor reporting the result. See also Our Glorious Golden Era of Nepotism * Willie Geist; Chelsea Clinton; Jenna Bush, Mika Brzezinski; Ronan Farrow. See also Ronan Farrow. Educational Institutions * George A. Goodman, President of Logan College of Chiropractic University Programs in St. Louis, hired his wife as a Dean with plenary powers and his son as an instructor. Source: Jack Striping. "Presidential Couple of Chiropractic College Draws Fire Over Wife's Role." The Chronicle of Higher Education. April 20, 2012.pp. A10, A12. * Linda P.B. Katehi, Chancellor of UC-Davis. Emily Prieto-Tseregounis, Katehi's daughter-in-law, works in the Division of Student Affairs as chief of staff to Vice chancellor for Student Affairs Adela de la Torre, who reported to the Chancellor. Katehi was ousted. * Georgia Kernell UCLA Asst. Prof. Communications Celebrities * Cory Efram Doctorow. * Saif Ali Khan. Links * Political Lexicon * See "Dual Career" and "Spousal Hiring" entries in Euphemism External Links * How to Spot — and Expose — Nepotism in the Workplace